Printing Industries has provided submissions and advice to a Queensland Government review that is examining the activities of Goprint.

The review is being carried out  by the Government's Service Delivery and Performance Commission which was established in November 2005. The role of the Commission is to review and identify possible cost savings and efficiencies in Queensland Government departments to ensure taxpayers are getting good value for money.

The Service Delivery and Performance Commission has responsibility for undertaking reviews of various areas within the public sector to:

The premier awards for the Australian printing industry took place on Friday 25 May 2007, infront of an always enthusiastic crowd.

This year’s 24th National Print Awards was bigger and better than ever before, with the dinner held at the Bayside Grand Hall, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour.

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Full list of medal winners

The Australian Government has said that it is committed to ensuring that listed companies continue to provide shareholders with an option to receive hard copies of annual reports each year at no additional cost to shareholders.

The commitment came during a recent meeting between a Printing Industries delegation comprising Government Relations Manager and General Manager, ACT Barry Neame, National Policy and Research Manager, Hagop Tchamkertenian, and Treasury officials in Canberra responsible for drafting legislation to put into effect the Government’s new policy on company annual reports.

While there is a chance for the legislation to be operational from 1 July 2007 pending passage of the legislation by both houses of parliament, Printing Industries representatives told the Treasury officials that it would be preferable if the legislation did not come into effect until 1 July 2008 to allow companies more time to plan for the change. Such a time frame would also help to minimise the impact of the new government policy on the printing industry.

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The Queensland Government plans to strengthen the State workers' compensation system by improving training and accreditation of rehabilitation and return-to-work co-ordinators.

Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations, John Mickel (pictured right), has released a Regulatory Impact Statement outlining proposed amendments to the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2003 that will enable Queensland to adopt national training standards for these co-ordinators.

The benefits for employers of implementing effective return-to-work plans include less down-time and lost productivity; reduced absenteeism and shortage of skilled workers; reduced training costs and use of casual staff; reduced claims costs and lower workers' compensation insurance premiums; and improved industrial relations and workplace morale.

Further information is available from the Minister's media statement.

The Queensland Government will work with employers to help women re-enter the workforce.

An employer information kit will be developed in conjunction with key industry groups including Printing Industries to assist employers to encourage the re-entry and retention of professional women in the workforce.

For more information read the Minister's media statement.

PrintEx07 enjoyed total visitor numbers of 11,148 representing an 7.3 percent increase over PrintEx03, the last time this major print and graphic communications exhibition was held.  

Since before the doors opened on the first day, Thursday 24 May, visitors were queueing for entry and a steady stream continued to come to the exhibition throughout the three days.  

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The Survey of Employer Use and Views of the VET System, a national survey managed by NCVER, seeks to collect information from 5,000 employers across Australia about how they make sure that their employees have the right skills.

Survey information will be used to gain a greater understanding of the skill needs of industry and whether the VET sector is meeting these needs, identify areas in which skill requirements are increasing and monitor how employers use training and what they think of it.

Survey results will be published in late 2007.

For further information contact Anna Payton on (08) 8230 8467 or Colleen Young on (08) 8230 8496.

If you employ workers involved in scaffolding, rigging, or the operation of cranes, pressure equipment or loadshifting equipment such as forklifts, you and your workers are likely to be affected by changes to licensing.

From 1 July 2007, Registered Training Organisations will be responsible for verifying that a person has demonstrated sufficient competency to be issued with the licence. The competency must be gained through a combination of on-the-job and off-the-job training.

A round of seminars* explaining the changes is currently underway comprising three sessions:

9am - 10am - Explanation of the changes to employers and training providers
10am - 10.30am - Networking session for employers and training providers
10.30am - 12.30am - Information for training providers on responsibilities under the new system

*Attendance at this session is only required for training providers. All sessions commence at 9 am.

Seminar dates, times and registration information are available on http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/training/changes/index.htm

Introduction to First Line Management (The New Supervisor) gives those new to the task of supervising others the confidence to do the job well from the outset.

Date:                7 June (3 hours evening)

Venue:             Printing Industries Queensland office

Contact David Hoban for more details on (07) 3356 0022.

We have also scheduled three evening ‘briefings’ for members on ‘tender preparation’; ‘financial planning’; and an update on environmental matters. Details to follow soon.